The Penguin Poo Story (and more): Questions and Answers
To find out about my future plans and ambitions, go directly to the last two questions

1Q.: Why was this work done?
2Q.: What is the scientific significance of the research?

A.: This work was carried out to satisfy the curiosity of the researchers.

A.: Any research on flow-mechanics, on movement of viscous liquids through narrow tubes and tight openings must be of interest to the life scientist (e.g., to mind come blood circulation, veins, arteries, the urinary system, ejaculation of sperm, etc.).

A.: Anatomists, physiologists, zoologists, ornithologists would find food for thought in our work: how can these birds generate such high pressures? Will only meat- and fish-eating birds generate these high pressures during venting and if so, why? What are the (neural) control mechanisms? Do the birds choose the direction towards which they are expelling their faeces or is the direction chosen randomly? Do chicks generate relatively higher pressures than adult birds? Good research always generates more questions and makes people think.

3Q.: Were there any scientific responses to our work and if so, what were they?

A.: A palaeontologist, studying dinosaur biology, wondered if our calculations could be applied to streaks found around fossil dinosaur nests.

A.: Engineers for electric power lines in an African country inquired if our research could help solving a problem they encountered with vultures: power lines near the nests of vultures often experienced short-circuits when the vultures and their young were expelling their faeces.

A.: Several zoo-operators and bird-park rangers inquired about "safe" distances for visitors to bird cages.

A.: A medical colleague of mine was inspired to perhaps 're-measure' pressures produced in humans during defaecation (only old data for this activity exist in the literature).

4Q.: Were there also non-scientific responses?

A.: Yes, lots! Numerous popular (as well as some less popular) magazines, radio stations, TV-channels, etc. asked us to provide details about penguin poo and how we made the measurements. A T-shirt manufacturer asked for permission to have Fig 1 of our publication on a T-shirt (we gave the permission!).

5Q.: What was the background for this research?

A.: The project started in Antarctica during the first (and so far only) "Jamaican Antarctic Expedition" in 1993, which I had organized and was the leader of. Many photographs of penguins 'in action' and their 'decorated nests' were taken. Later at a slide show at Kitasato University in Japan, I was asked by a student during question time to explain how the penguins actually decorated their nests. I answered: they get up, move to the edge of the nest, turn around, bend over and ---- shoot. The student, who had asked the question, she blushed, the audience chuckled, and we got the idea to calculate the pressures produced when penguins poo.

6Q.: Why was the research published in the journal "Polar Biology"?

A.: Because Polar Biology is one of the leading scientific journals covering research from the Arctic and Antarctic. It uses reliable referees, is a relatively fast journal, enjoys a vast readership around the globe, and is available in the libraries of most universities and research institutes.

A.: Because we could not get our manuscript into the Journal of Experimental Biology (our work was deemed too descriptive, not sufficiently experimental). However, one referee commented very favourably on our title and called it "a great title".

7Q.: Are we happy about receiving the ig-Nobel Award?

A.: Yes, of course we are. Science, even serious science, should reach a larger audience than just a handful of experts. We have certainly achieved that. People from all walks of life in many different countries have apparently taken notice of our work (and hopefully the questions that this work raises with regard to the propulsion and ejection of viscous liquids through narrow tubes and apertures).

8Q.: Have I published other scientific (i.e., serious) articles with a funny title?

A.: Yes. How about these ( a small selection - for full list of publications go to www.meyer-rochow.com and click on publications):

10Q.: Do you have any interesting future projects you wish to research?

A. Yes.

For several years I have been trying to build up research into photoreceptor miniaturization. In other words: how small can animal photoreceptors and their internal organization be in order to still function as 'eyes'. We have examined an eye of only 10 micrometer in diameter in an Antarctic marine mite of a body length of approx. 0.4 mm. We know of some insect ocelli of only 6 micron diameter. How can such photoreceptors work? What can animals with such tiny eyes possibly perceive? There must be limits to the optics, the visual membrane stacking, the cells, pigment grains, etc in such miniature eyes. What determines these limits? However, despite repeated applications for funding through the DFG (German Science Foundation) we have been unable to secure any support for this exciting and truly interesting project (which could have spin-offs to the industry, etc). I am hoping for a sponsor to support this work.

I am also interested in researching whether lower animals have a sense of 'hope' and 'expectation'. Can 'hope' prolong life? I have a number of critical, scientific tests in mind that could provide some answers. But again, very little financial support for this research.

I am involved in some other projects, all interesting and potentially important. Some are related to visual perception and suicide, others deal with hand or foot/eye coordination. But all these projects could move ahead only with financial backing from someone or somewhere.

11Q.: Any wish or wishes for the future?

A.: Well, apart from the previous paragraph on future research projects I have one other hope. For many years I have been publishing a science column, first under the name "Hidden Worlds" in the New Zealand Herald (but now discontinued), then in the Jamaican "Gleaner" under the title "Our Strange World" (also no longer appearing), then in the Finnish Kaleva under the heading "Uutta luonnosta" (discontinued after several years of running), then in the Weser Kurier's "Die Norddeutsche" under the heading of "BioHappen" and as of late in the Hamburger Abendblatt, also with the title "BioHappen". Some articles appeared sporadically in the Indian "Sentinel". I hope that this column can appear in other newspapers or magazines or the individual column-items find their way into a book.

This series of short and scientifically totally correct articles deals in an interesting, often humourous way, with a variety of biological phenomena and personal observations.